Page 32 of On His Knees

A small smile curls up the corners of her mouth. “Me? Now, would I do something like that?” she asks, and blinks thick lashes over innocent eyes.

“I don’t know you well enough to know if you’re bribing me or not.”

“But you’d know if it’s working though, right?”

“It’s not working.”

It’s working.

“Oh, come on,” she pleads. “It’s for charity. Please, Tate...”

“Summer...” I groan, and she grins.

“That groan does not mean I’m wearing it.”

It means I’m wearing it.

How the hell can I say no to her when she’s gazing at me with those big doe eyes. Is that how she manipulates men into giving her what she wants? If that’s true, why don’t I care more that it’s working on me?

“The funds go to the geriatric department at the hospital, and that is near and dear to my heart.”

Why, is that where she hangs out to pick up her victims?

Even as I ask myself these questions, they suddenly don’t sit right in my brain, or my gut. The more time I spend with her, the less sure I am that she’s the conniving gold digger I first thought. But then, what’s her relationship with my granddad?

“What’s your costume?” I ask, and look into the bag. I pull out a cute little red fox outfit. “How come you get something adorable, and I have to be an ass?” I glare at her. “Are you trying to tell me something?”

She laughs. “No, it’s just that most of the men’s costumes were already rented when I signed us up last minute.”

“Wait.” I stop in my tracks, and wave my hand, a motion to stop and backtrack. “Signed us up for what exactly?”

“You’ve worked here long enough. You should know what event has costumes like this.”

“Enlighten me, I forget.”

“It’s the polar bear plunge.”

I step back. “Nope. No way. Not happening. I’m not jumping into ice-cold water and freezing my balls off.”

She leans toward me. “Not even if I promise to warm them up later, with my mouth?”

“Jesus. How the hell can I say no to that?”

“Pretty sure you can’t.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose, trying to wrap my brain around this. “So we jump into ice-cold water, with suits on?”

She produces two tickets. “I already bought us the tickets, and we can win prizes.”

“Like what? Most Shrinkage? Best Blue Balls?”

She laughs, a deep belly laugh that nearly topples her over. For some strange reason I start laughing with her. I must be losing my damn mind. How can a woman I can’t figure out be so easy to laugh with?

“No,” she says, still laughing. “Like Best Jump, Best Costume. Things like that. Some of the kids from the children’s hospital are here and they’re the judges. That’s why we have the costumes on. To make it fun for them.” The smile falls from her face, all serious now. “They need fun, Tate.”

“Yeah, and I need my balls. I might want to have kids someday.”

She puts a hand on her hip, her eyes challenging. “The guy who doesn’t believe in marriage wants a family someday?”

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